# Wade Istchenko

Wade Istchenko is a Canadian politician, who was elected to in the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the 2011, 2016 and 2021 elections. A former cabinet minister, he currently represents the rural Yukon district of Kluane as a member of the opposition Yukon Party caucus.

## Political career
### 33rd Assembly

Istchenko was elected in November 2011 as a member of the Yukon Party caucus in the rural Yukon riding of Kluane. The riding had been held since 1996 by long-time New Democrat-turned-Liberal Gary McRobb, who had retired that year. Istchenko was sworn in as a member of the Executive Council (Cabinet) of Premier Darrell Pasloski on November 5, 2011, and served as Minister of Highways and Public Works until being appointed Minister of Environment in January 2015. During the 33rd Legislative Assembly, he also served as a member of the Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments.
Shortly before being sworn into Cabinet, Istchenko made headlines when he admitted to falsifying documents in 2008 to obtain a wilderness tourism operator permit. He apologized, and cited the incident as a lapse in judgment and admitted to paying a fine.
Istchenko once again drew controversy in 2015, this time after a photo emerged of him drinking a beer while in the driver's seat of a parked all-terrain vehicle. He later apologized for the incident.

### 34th Assembly

Istchenko was re-elected in the 2016 Yukon election for the district of Kluane, defeating former Kluane First Nation chief and Liberal candidate Mathieya Alatini. The Yukon Party was defeated by the Yukon Liberal Party in that election, however, so Istchenko returned to the legislature as a member of the Opposition. He is currently the Yukon Party caucus critic for the Department of Environment, the Yukon Housing Corporation, the Yukon Liquor Corporation (including the Yukon Lottery Commission), the Yukon Energy Corporation and the Yukon Development Corporation. He is also a member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

### 35th Assembly

As of September 29, 2024, Istchenko serves as the Official Opposition critic for Environment and Rural Services.

## Personal life

Istchenko was born in Whitehorse and raised in Haines Junction, where he currently lives. He is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, which he joined in 1984, and served with NATO in Germany. He continues to be active in the Canadian Rangers as a Ranger Sergeant.
Prior to entering the politics, Istchenko ran an outdoor adventure company, Kluane Ridin' Adventure Tours. He also served on the Kluane Park Management Board.
Istchenko is the grandson of Hilda Watson, former MLA for the same electoral district of Kluane, and the first woman to lead a political party in Canada.

## Electoral record
### 2021 general election

vte2021 Yukon general election: Kluane :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Wade Istchenko | 352 | 45.01 | +1.7% |
| | Liberal | Luke Campbell | 219 | 28 | -9.1% |
| | New Democratic | Dave Weir | 211 | 26.98 | +7.8% |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 782 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | |
| | Yukon Party hold | Yukon Party hold | Swing | Swing | -8.51 |
| Source(s) "Unofficial Election Results 2021". Elections Yukon. Retrieved 24 April 2021. |||||||

### 2016 general election

Kluane :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Wade Istchenko | 338 | 43.3% | +5.4% |
| | Liberal | Mathieya Alatini | 289 | 37.1% | +8.1% |
| | NDP | Sally Wright | 153 | 19.2% | -9.8% |
| Total | Total | Total | 780 | 100.0% | – |

### 2011 general election

Kluane :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Wade Istchenko | 287 | 37.9% | +8.3% |
| | NDP | Eric Stinson | 220 | 29.0% | +15.2% |
| | Liberal | Timothy Cant | 219 | 28.9% | -24.4% |
| | First Nations Party | Gerald Dickson | 32 | 4.2% | +4.2% |
| Total | Total | Total | 759 | 100.0% | – |